Wrigley visit sparking memories for Rays' Martinez

By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com

CHICAGO -- It's been a nice homecoming at Wrigley Field for Rays bench coach Dave Martinez.

Martinez broke into the big leagues with the Cubs in 1986, and played with the team until July 14, 1988, when he was traded to the Expos for Mitch Webster. He returned to the Cubs in 2000, but was traded again to the Rangers in June of that year.

The former outfielder said he spent the first five innings of Friday's game talking about Wrigley and former Cubs manager Don Zimmer, who died in June. The Rays wear a "Zim" patch on the sleeve of their uniform in Zimmer's memory.

"[Joe Maddon] has been to Boston and other places, but he was saying, 'This is unbelievable,'" Martinez said of the Rays manager, who had never been inside Wrigley until this weekend's Interleague series. "I had told him, 'When you come here and see the ivy on the wall and the stadium, you're looking at baseball history.' That's what I look at every time. I've always told everybody it's my favorite place to play. You just get goose bumps thinking about playing here."

Zimmer managed the Cubs from 1988-91, and the team topped the National League East that year with a 93-69 record. In 2004, he became a senior baseball advisor with the Rays.

"Zim never goes away," Martinez said. "To this day, I never think Zim is gone. We left his locker as is. We're never going to take it down."

Martinez, 49, nearly returned to Wrigley Field as the manager. He interviewed last offseason and was a finalist for the job, which was given to then-Padres bench coach Rick Renteria.

"I like Rick, he's a great guy and I think he's done a great job," Martinez said. "This organization is definitely heading in the right direction. They have plenty of young kids in the Minor Leagues. I look at them now, and look at how [the Rays] were when we started -- and they're headed in the same direction."

Turner to arrive this weekend, role up in the air

CHICAGO -- Jacob Turner, acquired from the Marlins on Friday, is expected to join the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Sunday, but manager Rick Renteria isn't sure what the right-hander's role will be.

The Cubs claimed Turner off waivers and sent Minor League pitchers Jose Arias and Tyler Bremer to the Marlins in exchange.

Turner was 4-7 with a 5.97 ERA in 20 games (12 starts) with Miami. He was in the Marlins' rotation from the start of the season until June 11, then made eight relief appearances. In his last three outings, all starts, he gave up eight earned runs on 19 hits and six walks over 14 2/3 innings.

Renteria couldn't project what Turner, 23, will do, although he most likely will be used out of the bullpen. The pitcher is out of options, and the Cubs will have to make a roster move when Turner arrives.

"Maybe a change of scenery can help," Renteria said. "We know [Turner] was a highly touted prospect, we know that he has a good arm. Getting him here and putting our eyes on him in real terms and allowing the staff to work with him and see how things develop is something we're looking forward to doing."

Renteria: Hype hasn't affected Baez's routine

CHICAGO -- Javier Baez was not the center of attention on Saturday as he was on his first day at Wrigley Field.

"Obviously, the attention is well-founded, because he's a gifted player and there's been a lot of expectations and excitement about his arrival," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said of the highly touted prospect who made his Major League debut Tuesday in Colorado.

"I don't think it'll ever cease, because he's a young man who can potentially excite a lot of people for years to come, hopefully," Renteria said of the attention. "It doesn't affect his routine. He comes in and does his same thing every single day and tries to put himself in the right frame of mind to play the game."

Baez, 21, went 1-for-5 on Friday, hitting a single in his first at-bat, and then striking out four times in a 4-3, 10-inning loss to the Rays.

Renteria wasn't surprised that Baez could handle the attention.

"He's had a tremendous amount of attention for quite a long time," Renteria said. "It's in real time now -- he's here with the organization he signed with and has been developing with. He's in the big city of Chicago, and lot of exciting things for him coming. I think he'll be fine."

The second baseman will likely benefit from Starlin Castro's generosity on the next road trip. Castro promised to take Baez shopping so he not only could play in the big leagues but look like a Major Leaguer, too.

Extra bases

• Left-hander Felix Doubront threw a side session on Saturday, his third since joining the Cubs, but there was no word yet regarding a possible Minor League rehab outing for the left-hander. The Cubs acquired Doubront on July 30 from the Red Sox for a player to be named, and he is on the disabled list with a left calf strain.

• Renteria said he's happy with Arismendy Alcantara's play so far in center field. Alcantara has primarily been a second baseman, and switched to the outfield this year at Triple-A Iowa. So far, Alcantara's reaction time and ability to read the ball off the bat have been good.

"Over time, his angles will continue to clean up, his approach and understanding of situations and when to get the ball in a little stronger, and when to hold up more -- all of that will continue to develop," Renteria said.

• Jorge Soler, ranked No. 6 on MLB.com's Top 20 Cubs Prospects List, hit his fifth home run and an RBI double on Friday for Triple-A Iowa. He is batting .313 in 16 games, and could join the big league team in September when rosters expand. Soler is already on the Cubs' 40-man roster.

• The Cubs won't be adding Cole Hamels to the rotation this month. The 48-hour deadline passed for the Cubs and Phillies to work out a deal after the Cubs claimed the left-hander off revocable waivers. The Phillies, who most likely were looking at some of the Cubs' top prospects in exchange, have pulled Hamels back.